The EU's competition commissioner warned that more than the nine banks that failed the stress tests this summer may need to be recapitalized and proposed extending crisis rules that make it easier for governments to rescue failing lenders.

__________________* I have the right to live, thus I have the right to defend my life from attackers who would take it from me.
* I have the right to my private property, thus I have the right to defend my property from thieves who would take it from me.
* I have the right to self-determination, thus I have the right to defend my liberty from tyrants who would take it from me.
* The only usable tools for these tasks are guns, and thus I have the right to shoot anyone who would take my guns from me.

Euro zone leaders have stepped up plans to bolster bank capital as part of a wider rescue package, which was given greater impetus by this week's rescue of Belgian-French lender Dexia (DEXI.BR), which comfortably passed the July health check.

Morgan Stanley predicts that the amount needed could reach 2 trillion euros across Europe by the end of next year as banks curb lending and sell loans and entire businesses. A lack of buyers and the losses lenders face on loan sales are making those targets unrealistic.

“Asset sales are impractical in the current environment,” said Simon Maughan, head of sales and distribution at MF Global UK Ltd. in London. “Every bank is selling, and no bank is buying. It just won’t work.

The European Stabilization Fund is clearly in deep
trouble with significant leaders making conflicting statements .
Meanwhile the main stock markets are apparently being manipulated to
prevent a plunge .

For what it is worth I had expected TPTB to attempt a kill of short
sellers at the end of this week by driving the market high . However
supporting the market in this economic climate is hard work .

One must suspect the absurd Philly Fed business outlook survey result is
part of that scam because they understand it will be very hard to prevent
a sharp market fall at closing time on Friday night .

Next week is interesting because of Gold options expiry and it would
be convenient for TPTB to allow a market fall so they can once again
slam the precious metal speculators at options expiry .

( Just my unfounded fantasy chaps , take it with a grain of salt ) .

__________________All paper is a short position on gold.

“Gold is money. Everything else is credit.”
“If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.” ( Noam Chomsky )

“Theory is when you understand everything, but nothing works.”
“Practice is when everything works, but nobody understands why.”
“At this station, theory and practice are united, so nothing works and nobody understands why.”
Dallas Fed president Richard Fisher

__________________The best grape kool aid is made with hot tap water then cooled for an hour or more in the fridge. The sugar melts and mixes properly. Making kool aid with cold tap water is just barbaric.